"I would advise against fashion,"
Zakarian told Business Insider. "Never follow fashion, because
you will be following a loser's hole of money. Every year you'll
be throwing stuff away."

In order to shop according to
this rule, Zakarian deploys a steady, calculating hand.

"You have to spend a little bit more," Zakarian said. "If you
really spend correctly and really buy good stuff that lasts and
doesn't go out of style, you'll have a great wardrobe for the
rest of your life. You can pass it down to your kids if you take
care of it."

Another tip: versatility.

"If there's not three or four uses for something, I don't buy
it," Zakarian said.

If all this sounds like a commitment, that's because it is.

"Nothing's easy. If you're going
to curate something correctly you need to spend time," Zakarian
said. "Just like if you want to cook dinner you've got to spend
time actually doing it, you'vegot to do a little work."

But what you'll have by the end
of the process is a simple, dependable, versatile wardrobe full
of quality clothing that you genuinely love. Perfect for taking
on whatever you need to do next.